The Enchanter
by MystOfTheStars
Summary: What if... Fay dies fighting against FWR. After all has ended, Kurogane goes back to Nihon alone. But.. what if the mage wasn't the one intended to Kurogane? Could possibly be in Nihon another blonde magician, the ninja is very soon destined to meet?


**Title**: The Enchanter

**Part**: 1/?

**Betas**: Pirate-Crisis and Mistress -Freak

**Rating**: PG/PG-13

**Characters**: Kurogane, Tomoyo-hime, Yuui&Fay, Amaterasu

**Plot**: (spoilers to ch. 185 more or less - what comes after in TRC isn't involved) Fay dies fighting against FWR. After all has ended, Kurogane goes back to Nihon alone. But.. what if the mage wasn't the one intended to Kurogane? Could possibly be in Nihon another blonde magician, the ninja is very soon destined to meet?

**Disclaimer**: I sadly don't own anything.

**Notes**: translation from italian (original's mine too).

When I say "Yuui" here, I mean real!Yuui, while Fay is real!Fay, 'kay?

_****The Enchanter - chapter 1****_

_Death seized Yuui* so fast, that he couldn't be aware of anything else than the darkness which suddenly followed the blinding burst of the spell._

_If he could have felt something, he would surely have regretted leaving that life he only recently had learned to love... but only a little bit._

_Giving that life for him – who had saved it so many times – was the only choiche he could make in that moment. And he had made it... Fay would have been proud of him._

***

Tomoyo was walking along the painted wooden bridge in her palace garden. Spring had given way to summer in Nihon, but that day the stifling heat was attenuated by a gentle breeze, that spread around a soft fragrance of flowers.

The princess stared at her image in the lake: blue sky surrounded her face, distorted by ripples, and multi-coloured fish swam in and out from a small, milky-white cloud .

Kurogane was close behind her. Dressed in his armor and in his black cloak, the ninja seemed unaffected by the heat. Since he had returned to Nihon after his journey, he was nigh-untouchable: the winter's cold, the heat of summer, the buds and blooms of spring... not even the battles which so thrilled him in the past, or the comfort of people around him seemed to affect him.

That day, in that far away dimension, something had gone wrong. Maybe it was the strain, perhaps a breakdown ... his arm didn't work properly, and the ninja found himself defenseless in the face of the enemy.

Yuui shielded him with his own body, but the spell was too powerful, even for his vampire's blood, and his lifeless body fell to the ground, under Kurogane's helpless gaze.

What happened after simply wasn't important. Time had stopped at that moment for him, right in that instant.

Tomoyo continued onward to the pavilion, where her sister would be waiting .

Nobody could return Yuui to Kurogane. Nobody. And unfortunately, he knew it well.

***

The points and details they had to discuss that day were a little boring, and in the closed pavilion the air was heavy and hot. Tomoyo tidied her hair and waved her colorful fan.

"... and we must start thinking about the preparations for Midsummer's feast." the secretary said. He was a small, elderly man, dressed in a light-colored yukata.

"We already made a list of the artists to send a call, if I'm not mistaken." Amaterasu answered with a browled drawl.

"In this regard, Your Majesty, I have heard that in the north of Nihon a company has arrived from overseas. It seems that it is composed by very talented artists, my Lady ... These magicians and acrobats are having great success in the north. "

"Oh, really? - said Amaterasu, eager to cut their discussion short - Well, then I'll leave to you the task of deciding whether they're valid artists or not, secretary. If you believe they are worth it, be sure to call them, and it will be nice to see a new show at our palace this year. "

The man understood that this meant he had to leave, so he bowed respectfully and left the hall.

"Have you decided what to play the evening of the feast, sister?" Tomoyo asked, turning to the Empress.

It was tradition, during the celebrations, for Amaterasu to play her harp in front of her people. The beautiful sound and melodies that only her hands could produce made it one of the most highly anticipated events of the festival.

"Almost. I have written a new melody, and I'm eager to play it." she said as she got to her feet. She thanked her sister and went out from the pavilion.

Tomoyo stood up in turn. It seemed that the festival, that year, was going to be magnificent as usual, full of music, dances, shows and banquets. The part she used to appreciate the most, personally, was the moment of the fireworks ... Additionally, she was curious as to the validity of the rumors of this company's skills.

She only hoped that an evening of joy and celebration would have been able to give at least some relief to the wounded heart of the ninja.

***

While returning home, Kurogane stared at the sunset.

A flock of crows took off into the sky, their wings beating against the red light of the dying sun, while the first stars were beginning to shine in the blue sky.

Returning home, like always. Not that there was much sense in going back home, for him.

He had wanted to return to Nihon, he had wished for it with all his will, he had sworn it to Tomoyo and he had kept the oath.

But being back home never made him feel so empty.

Was there any sense, in earning something and trying to preserve it with all his strength, if it is taken away, with no way to get it back?

He closed the door behind, kicked off his heavy boots and unfastened the cloak. He began removing the armor, and he suddendly cursed when a sharp-cornered scrap metal was caught on the black fabric adorning his left wrist. He tried his best to keep the armor lifted, so that it wouldn't tear the tissue apart as it fell, and he bustled with the right hand to loosen the knot - it was very tight, but he wasn't certainly going to risk having the flow of blood to his hand stopped.

There was no light in the room - the sun was already down - and Kurogane entrusted his touch to slowly unravel the fabric from the armour's mesh.

The armour fell to the ground, ignored, while Kurogane squeezed that unusual bracelet among his fingers .

At that point, he should have begun preparing his futon...

He should have been happy to be back in Nihon again ...

But he held Yuui's blindfold to his face, instead. That bandage was tied to the wrist since the moment he said farewell to his corpse.

Initially, the fabric had even kept the smell of his hair. Now, it was worn ... but still tied to his arm.

A sudden pain in his chest forced him to the ground.

He collapsed in a heap; the spasm left him breathless and shivering.

He was trembling, sobs hardly coming out from his mouth, while the tears lined his cheeks.

_... I never asked to meet you. I was fine even without you. But damn you! You should have staid, instead of going...!_

He shook his fists, his nails penetrating deep into the skin of the palm. The physical pain was a comfort compared to the monster that was tearing his soul into pieces.

_The stupid wizard was walking beside him with his usual feline gait, with long and slight steps. Fog was surrounding them, and that white manju bun was teasing him, hiding under his cloak ... "Brr. It's so scary!"squeaked Mokona, imitating Kurogane's voice. Yuui turned, with a warm and reassuring smile on his face "Don't be afraid ... I'm right next to you!"_

_With you gone, what am I supposed to do? You idiot!_

There was no point in blaming him, he knew ... but ...

He would much rather kill an entire horde of Oni, but once he had given in to his feelings, he would have to return sleeping in an empty room.

In that room in Nihon, there would be no Yuui to give him any "this is payback, Kurosama" and a smile of gratitude.

_Stop crying, idiot_ ... but the sobs kept shaking him. Kurogane held his head in his hands as the tears soaked his trouser's fabric.

***

"... could you please say that again?" The princess wasn't sure she had heard correctly.

The secretary glanced at her, barely restraining a sigh. "I was telling you, my lady, about what I heard yesterday regarding the performers: it seems that their selling point is the Fluorite twins, two young magicians who perform extraordinary feats that simply astound the audience. I was told of them with such enthusiasm that I called upon them myself... My lady, I know that your sister, her Majesty, is not interested in these organizational details, but I notice that your attention is waning as well... I understand these speeches are boring, but I felt it was my duty to inform you of my decision and about the reasons that ... "

"Of course, of course, that's fine, as always - Tomoyo interrupted him with a sharp wave of the hand – Now, if you can excuse me..."

The secretary, resigned, bent his head as a sign of deference, and the princess disappeared through the palace's corridors.

Tomoyo left quickly, but her pace slowed upon reaching her room. Even the thoughts invading her head took a more defined shape.

Two twins ... and their name was Fluorite... Yuui Fluorite, the blond wizard Kurogane sacrificed his arm for...

Fortunately, Kurogane was on guard outside the palace, and wasn't around to see the anxiety on her face.

...could it be a coincidence? No, she knew all too well that there was no coincidence in this world, only hitsuzen.

The handmaids served brought her a glass of cold beverage, watching her, worried, thinking their Lady to be ill from the heat.

Tomoyo tried to explain them that everything was all right, and the handmaids, somewhat uncertain, left her alone. It was rare to see the PrincessTomoyo so disturbed.

She had already wondered if Yuui's death was truly unavoidable. Well, it had happened, and nothing could turn back time and bring him back to life, but ...

Maybe that magician, after all, was not the person intended for Kurogane. Just maybe.

Maybe ... maybe there was another Yuui that Kurogane could meet in this world.

Who knows, maybe Yuui's Kurogane was dead in Valeria, killed by the insane emperor ... or by Ashura-ou, in Celes country.

Perhaps, the Yuui intended to Kurogane had never been as far as the other one – the magician coming from another dimension ... but he was living somewhere in the ninja's same world, and now he had arrived in their country.

If only she still had the power to read dreams ... not that she repented she had given it up. But now all of this was so confusing ... Two twins with the same name ...

She knew that were no coincidences, but her absent powers made her uncertain.

There was less than a month left to Midsummer's Fest, and until then she wouldn't be sure of anything – not until she had seen those magicians with her own eyes.

And she would not tell Kurogane about it, that much was certain...

Why should she go about upsetting him, giving him hope, if it could turn out to be a great misunderstanding?

***

Finally, the so-awaited day of the feast arrived.

Ornaments and colored lanterns hung everywhere in the streets and on the houses. The heat was terrible, but everyone looked with relief at the blinding sun in the clear blue sky: though a storm would have surely been refreshing, it would have dashed the hopes for the fireworks show.

In the palace, the cooks were busy in the kitchen, squads of waiters in livery were running in the corridors carrying ladders, nails and various tools, the maids ran in and out the royal apartments, bringing jewels and ribbons, and everyone was more than happy to be so busy, though, for such a joyous occasion..

Tomoyo restrained a sigh as she watched her servants pin her hair in the mirror.. She felt nervous, but she couldn't show it at all. She was anxious to meet the new artists, but she didn't have the time to see them yet. Even so, a Princess meeting lowly wandering artists seemed highly inappropriate.

She took a deep breath. It seemed that, with losing her powers, she had also lost her self-control.

The banquet unraveled through the muggy evening - the courses were served with exhausting slowness, and Tomoyo ate automatically, her stomach closed by anxiety.

Later in the evening, silence fell over the room as Amaterasu began plucking the strings of her harp, but those beautiful melodies weren't enough hold the Princess' attention.

Sometimes, she glanced furtively at Kurogane, but the ninja was behaving as usual. Standing at her side, his scarlet eyes never stopped scanning the room, all his senses tightened to capture even the slightest sign of danger, for the safety of the princess.

Finally, the show began.

The hall was cleared from the tables to make room, and the people lined up against the walls, curious to assist to the show.

Tomoyo was sitting on her seat next to Amaterasu; at their sides, both dressed in black, Kurogane and Souma were standing silently.

The entrance door burst open, and jugglers in all manner of gaudy clothing came tumbling into the room.

Tomoyo followed the acrobats' movements with her heart in her throat- not only because the numbers they were performing seemed difficult and potentially dangerous, but mainly because she knew that, sooner or later, they would have appeared.

The incredible performance of a beautiful girl wearing red clothes calmed the princess a little: she was waving huge fans decorated with fire tongues, which gave off myriads of twinkling flames. One of those even reached Tomoyo's kimono, but the princess, delighted, noticed that it didn't burn at all.

At the end of her part, the girl suddendly created a brilliant explosion of light, and then she disappeared in a cloud of fragrant smoke.

The blue mist slowly faded away, and two figures came into view in the center of the room.

They were dressed in dark purple silk - the fabric was so bright that the lanterns sketched iridescent embroideries on their trousers folders and on their wide sleeves. The two boys were holding their hands, their blonde hair scattered on the shoulders, their eyes gazing upon the crowd: two identical twins.

Their eyes met for a moment, and they quickly drew a circle of light around their bodies.

Tomoyo's heart skipped several beats, and she spun to look at Kurogane. The ninja was standing petrified, breathing fast, his eyes dilated. Beside her, Amaterasu gave her a pat on the arm, as discreet as possible. Tomoyo recovered herself immediately, but it took her some time to pay attention again to the twins' show ... she could hear the crowd roaring in applauses, and she saw whirling lights reaching the high ceiling of the hall.

The two were executing perfect team work: their spells were created simultaneously, in perfect coordination.

All of a sudden, from one pair of hands a thick plume of purple smoke emerged, which slowly condensed, becoming a bird with red and blue plumage. It had a long, variegated tail and its head was adorned by a crest of purple feathers. With its curved beak the bird laid a small kiss on the nose of the young man who had created it, and then it glided to rest up nicely on the shoulder of the second boy, who urged it to fly high with a wave of the hand.

The animal twirled up to the hall's ceiling, followed by the eyes of the astonished and breathless audience. The bird opened its wings wide and seemed to become much bigger, its wings like cold flames, transparent as ice ... and unexpectedly it dived to where the Empress and the Princess sat.

Immediately, Kurogane was standing before them, Ginryu's blade unsheathed, ready to protect them against the spell.

The magic bird suddenly stopped in front of the sword: it had returned to its normal size, its wings flapping slowly, while it stared at the sword's steel with black and curious eyes.

"Kurogane, what were you thinking?" cried Tomoyo.

But the ninja didn't sheath his blade. The room was filled with a tense silence.

At that point, the boy who had initially created the bird stepped forward .

"I am extremely sorry, your Majesty." he said, bowing deeply. His voice echoed in the silent hall, the same clear tones of Yuui's .. or maybe Fay'svoice "It wasn't my intention to threaten you ... it was just a harmless spell. " he excused, lifting his head.

From the height of the seats, Kurogane stared at the magician. His blue eyes returned the gaze, questioning, but then a playful smile quickly brightened his face.

He slowly waved his hands, and the bird perched on the sword's blade, still unsheathed. It watched the ninja right in his eyes, and then gently beaked his nose. Kurogane waved unconsciously a hand to dispatch the animal, which quickly returned to its master with a flutter of its wings.

The boy laughed, and the magical beast vanished in a small puff of smoke.

As the amused audience cheered and clapped again, the two mages bowed before their majesties.

Kurogane slowly went back to his place, eyes fixed on the young man who had spoken. When he stood up after the bow, their eyes met and the magician turned to him with another big smile.

**end of ch.1**

(I'm sorry, I can't get out of this layout.. XD)


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